Get To Know Us

Our Role In The Community

Our role in the community is to support the towns, cities, and countries where we operate so that we have a positive impact. Fundraising, payroll donations, and creating opportunities for disadvantaged people are just some of the ways we give back. At a company level, we partner with national organisations that make a lasting difference, from Movember to I Can & I Am. Locally, our depots do more than serve customers – we help our communities by backing good causes. Elsewhere, our colleagues take on challenges, testing themselves and raising cash for the charities they are connected to.

Worthwhile Foundation

Find out more about how we are invested in doing the right thing for the communities that we work in. The Worthwhile Foundation partners us with many charities around the UK, from a local on-call firefighter scheme to using our hobbies to raise money for good causes.

£850k+

spent on training and developing our apprentices

300+

kitchens awarded to grass roots football clubs so far

900+

members of staff given free in-house health checks

Our Initiatives

Charity Starts Local

Charity starts locally, so we encourage our people to get involved with local causes. In 2022, they raised nearly £500k.

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Charity Starts Local

Opening depots is more than just setting up shop for us. It is about playing a valuable role in local life. Whenever you visit, you will find big-hearted people who are active in their communities, always looking out for chances to help others. Our teams know their hometowns best, so they are empowered to choose the causes they support, whether that’s donating stock or taking time to fundraise.
Beyond depots, our Operational and Support teams get involved with charities too, taking on tough challenges that generate thousands of pounds in sponsorship – a lifeline for small causes, like youth groups or hospices. Exceptional acts of kindness are also recognised at our annual company awards, with the Charity Golden Rooster award.
Payroll Giving

Charity starts locally and our teams are empowered to choose the causes they support, whether that’s donating stock or taking time to fundraise.

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Payroll giving

The Howdens Payroll Giving scheme makes donating to your favourite cause easy. Colleagues simply complete a form, say how much money they wish to give, and it is deducted from their pre-tax salary each month. There are thousands of registered charities to choose from, with more sign-ups each year, and there is also an option to split cash among several. The scheme is completely voluntary, without any obligation to join, yet the response has been staggering.

We have achieved a Platinum award in the 2024 Payroll Giving Quality Mark in recognition of our commitment to supporting employee giving and the hard work we have taken in promoting our payroll giving scheme. It also puts us in the top 5 per cent of businesses who have a Give As You Earn scheme with the Charities Aid Foundation.

Leaders At Heart

Discover how we have become leaders inside and outside of work, using our skills to benefit the communities in which we live.

Our Partnerships

The Game Changer Programme

Working with UK football associations, the Game Changer Programme is fitting over 450 kitchens into grassroots clubs, providing social space for future stars and fans.

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The Game Changer Programme

Working alongside the FA, the Scottish FA, and the Irish Football Foundation, we are transforming hundreds of lower league and grassroots clubhouses through the Game Changer Programme, by providing new kitchen facilities that will become the beating heart of their local communities.

Like the kitchen is at the heart of the home, these new kitchens will become a lifeline for many underfunded football teams, allowing parents, players, and volunteers to host events, food and refreshments that provide valuable funding to keep clubs afloat.

Over three years, our goal is to upgrade 450 clubhouse kitchens across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, to keep the spirit of football alive
Humberside Fire And Rescue

Our people are full of creative charity ideas, tapping into their backgrounds of helping others. The Howden-based firefighter service is a prime example.

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Humberside Fire And Rescue

It is a credit to our colleagues that they are responsible for some of our biggest charity projects. When Tony Clark joined us as a Safety, Health and Environmental Advisor, he spotted an opportunity to utilise his previous experience as a firefighter, putting together a proposal for an on-call fire service at our Howden manufacturing site. Fast-forward a decade, and Howdens now has similar provisions in Cheshire and Northamptonshire.

Phil Shillito, Chief Fire Officer at Humberside Fire and Rescue, calls the operation a “great example” of how companies can support their communities, encouraging others to do the same. A recent survey found 82 per cent of Britons agree, believing businesses have a responsibility to assist local emergency services.

As for Tony, he is still actively involved in our Health and Wellbeing Programme", delivering CPR training across the business, so more people can help in a crisis. He has also received a Charity Golden Rooster Award at our annual company-wide awards ceremony.

I Can & I Am

Run by former teacher, James Shone, I Can & I Am provides thousands of school children across the UK with valuable skills and mentoring opportunities.

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I Can & I Am

A routine medical exam changed James Shone’s life forever. Doctors found a brain tumour, and although they were able to operate, he lost the majority of his sight. Whilst recovering, James kept returning to an idea he once taught his pupils as a teacher: 'Setbacks can be springboards’. And so, I Can & I Am was born.

James began visiting schools to share his message of positivity and self-belief, yet he knew he could do more. That was where we came in, donating a double-decker bus, kitted out with a kitchen on the ground floor and a workshop area up top. A further donation of £100,000 was put towards running costs, allowing James and his team to host cookery and mentoring sessions that build confidence and improve mental wellbeing among children and young adults.

More than 3,000 kids have since been on the bus and while they love making food, educators spot the bigger benefits: “Pizzas hook the children, but what follows is profound and life-changing,” says headteacher Titus Mills. “This is real learning.”
Movember

A global charity dedicated to changing the face of men's health, Movember is one of our newest charity partners that we have been supporting since 2023.

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Movember

Movember began when a few friends got together over a beer in Australia in 2003. The idea was simple: grow a moustache to raise awareness and funds for critical issues that affect men daily.

From prostate and testicular cancer to mental health and suicide prevention, Movember supports groundbreaking research into key areas to reduce the number of men dying prematurely and improve the quality of life for men worldwide.

Men working in the construction industry are at the highest risk of suicide, with men, specifically in the finishing trades (in the UK), being twice as likely to take their own life. Two tradesmen take their own lives every single day. Our aim has always been to support our trade customers, so it made sense to partner with a charity that would dedicate their time to them as we do. It is also a great opportunity to positively support the health of our employees, friends, family members, and customers who are struggling.

Before the official partnership started, some of our depots were already independently supporting the charity. In November 2023, we launched a company-wide campaign, with our depots and support teams raising £26,000. This year, we want to do more, and we have already donated £50,000 to help more men in need.